The Lake Biwa Museum, Oroshimo-cho, Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture, announced on February 10 that a large cylindrical tank displaying a giant Lake Biwa catfish had cracked. It stated the aquarium exhibition room would be closed during the investigation of the cause and the safety confirmation of other tanks' condition.

According to the museum, on that morning, an alarm sounded signaling a drop in the water level and a staff member rushed to the site to find that the tank, which is 3.8 meters high and 5.1 meters in diameter, had cracked wide open with the surrounding area flooded. The four-centimeter-thick acrylic tank had been in use since the museum opened in 1996. No abnormalities were found during the visual inspection on or before the previous day. The museum is investigating the cause of the damage, including the possibility of deterioration due to aging.

Giant Lake Biwa catfish are endemic to Lake Biwa and the largest catfish in Japan. The 85-centimeter-long catfish kept in the tank was found inside the tank that afternoon, reportedly, with only non-life-threatening slight scratches.

Vice Director Takeshi Nishimura said, "The damage to the tank was quite unexpected. This is the first major accident at the museum since its opening. We apologize to those who were looking forward to visiting it." A man from Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture, visiting with two family members, said, "We came here for the black bass and are disappointed we can't see them. We'll come back."

Photo= The tank was damaged (in the back of the photo) and water overflowed at Lake Biwa Museum = courtesy of the museum